Led by the rebuild of Christchurch and an expanding Auckland, New Zealand’s building and construction industry is set to experience its strongest growth in 40 years. The latest National Construction Pipeline Report projects the total value of building and construction activity to reach $200 billion over the next six years, peaking at a record $37 billion in 2016.

So how does a business differentiate itself during such a boom? As it is in many disciplines, it’s a mix of art and science. Your brand is your business identity: your reputation. It’s the result of what you do, what you say and what others say about you. So it’s important to build trust and understanding with your stakeholders, including employees, customers, investors, regulators and the community.

To build your reputation and establish credibility requires a long-term view. As your business grows and your market develops, so too must your brand. Linking your know-how with your message and creating a clear point of difference from your rivals is crucial.

Here are some tips for using communications strategies effectively to create a strong and differentiated profile.

Key messages

First, consider your business goals, such as sales targets, expansion into new markets or new product launches. Translate these into communications objectives by identifying: what you want to be ‘famous’ for; who you want to reach; what you want those people to know and think about you; what action you want them to take; how you reach those audiences; and who influences them. This will align your profile-raising strategy with your business objectives.

Next, consider your key messages: the central thoughts you want your target audience to absorb. Well-crafted key messages can help to structure opinion pieces, speeches, presentations, advertising, websites and marketing collateral to ensure you get your main points across consistently. Back up key messages with credible facts and figures, from an independent source where possible.

Thought leadership

Aim to build influence over time by positioning your business as a leader in its field. Penning articles or opinion pieces, embracing speaking opportunities and hosting events are all forms of thought leadership. They are effective ways of demonstrating your expertise and will help you develop credibility and influence perceptions about your brand.

First, identify a topical issue, take a position either for or against and state your case. Again, back up your argument with robust data or evidence. Alternatively, you could serve as a guide to an issue and discuss both sides of the argument. Media is frequently keen to hear from specialists in their fields, particularly if they can offer fresh perspectives on an issue.

Auckland-based architecture practice Construkt is a good example: director David Gibbs successfully established himself as an expert on the Proposed Auckland Unitary Plan with a range of opinion pieces, commentaries and hosted events.

Media outreach

Developing positive relationships with target journalists is central to your profile-raising efforts and prepares the ground for when you have a story to tell. Media coverage provides an important form of third-party endorsement – people generally trust the media – so it’s important to build relationships.

Plan a 12-month pipeline of newsworthy announcements, such as client wins, research findings, key hires, award wins, new services and community initiatives. As each opportunity arises, generate a media release and pitch the story to target journalists. Publish the releases on your own website and social-media channels. This approach helps to maintain your presence in the media and create positive perceptions about your business.

Consider casual one-on-one meetings with target journalists to brief them about your business and industry; this also keeps you top-of-mind when media is seeking an expert opinion.

Case studies

Customer endorsement can add credibility to your marketing and PR strategy. Work with your clients to tell their stories in their words. Often they will have powerful stories about working with your business, which can be particularly compelling for potential customers. In today’s digital world, video case studies are becoming essential for many businesses: viewers relate better to those featured than to a written case study; short videos are posted easily on your website and can be leveraged readily in email campaigns and through social channels.

It takes time and persistence to boost your business’ profile, and maintain it. Establishing your key messages and using them to develop compelling content is just the first step. Leveraging content across multiple channels is when the power of an integrated profile-raising programme can really deliver results.

Hotwire is a PR and communications agency with particular expertise in the property and construction sector.